University of Aalborg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aalborg University (AAU)

Motto:	Learning seriously affects your brain
Established:	1974
Type:	Public university
Rector:	Finn Kjærsdam
Staff:	1,639 (2006)
Students:	14,185 (2006)
Doctoral students:	575 (2006)
Location:	Aalborg, Denmark
Affiliations:	EUA, ECIU
Website:	www.aau.dk

Coordinates: 57.015000° N 9.985000° E

Aalborg University is located in Aalborg, Denmark. With its opening in 1974 it became the fifth university in Denmark. In 1995 Esbjerg Engineering College was integrated in the university followed by the creation of the School of Architecture & Design in 1996, the inauguration of the Copenhagen Campus in 2003 (Copenhagen Institute of Technology), the founding of the School of Medicine in 2006, and the integration of the National Building Research Institute in 2007.

1 Profile
2 Special action areas and cross-disciplinary research
3 International relations
4 External links

[edit] Profile

Aalborg University differentiates itself from the older and more traditional Danish universities with its focus on interdisciplinary, inter-faculty studies; an experimental curriculum based on an interdisciplinary basic course with subsequent specialization; a pedagogical structure based on problem-centred, real-life projects of educational and research relevance - which internationally has become known and recognized as The Aalborg Experiment or The Aalborg Model. With the problem-based, project-organized model, a great part of a semesters teaching and student work revolves around complex real-life problems which the students wonder about and try to find answers to in scientific manners while working together in groups.

Aalborg University has five faculties: The Faculty of Humanities, The Faculty of Social Science, and the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Medicine.

[edit] Special action areas and cross-disciplinary research

AAU conducts research within all faculties. The strongest area of research is in the field of engineering, and the University has selected health science technology and wireless communication as special action areas.

AAU has always adopted a cross-disciplinary approach to research, as this, just like the tuition, is problem-based. This often requires contributions from a number of scientific disciplines, when a current problem is to be solved. Aalborg University has five cross-disciplinary action areas:

- Sustainable energy, the environment and construction.
- Global production, innovation, knowledge development and coherence.
- Information technology.
- Nanotechnology and nanoproduction.
- Experience technology and design.

[edit] International relations

Since its regional start in 1974, AAU has turned its focus towards an international orientation, making it a local university with an international outlook. AAU focuses on international collaboration in research and has, among other things, established a department for wireless communication and satellite navigation at University of Rome Tor Vergata, and Kolkata University in India and two centres for telecommunications, one at Bihar Institute of Technology in India and one at Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia.

25% of University's researchers come from abroad, and over the years the number of international students has steadily increased, making up today 10% of the total student population.

A recognition paid to the Aalborg University was the foundation of the UICEE Centre for Problem Based Learning (UCPBL) in 2001, which has subsequently led to the appointment of AAU as Unesco Chair in the problem-based learning.